Remember that suitcase you lost years ago? I found it!
By Bob Ford Special to
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It’s 1970 in rural Alabama and Doyle Owens was a struggling insurance salesman with two little kids trying to make ends meet.
Being a “ham” radio buff, he heard from a bus driver in Washington D.C. that Trailways Bus Line was having trouble with the growing amount of unclaimed baggage at their D.C. terminal. Doyle had an All-American idea. He scraped together $300, borrowed his father’s 1965 Chevy pickup then headed to our Capital to purchase the bags and bring ’em back to Alabama.
On his initial trip he snagged 110 orphaned suitcases. His first day back in Scottsboro, he sold everything!
The “unclaimed baggage” idea is pure American ingenuity. Filling a need … an institution was born.
That one load has turned into a multi-million dollar business, far surpassing Doyle’s wildest dreams. Unclaimed Baggage in picturesque Scottsboro, Alabama, is one of the top tourist destinations in the state with over a million annual visitors to this 50,000 square foot retail mecca.
Unclaimed Baggage grew and grew. They now have contracts with every domestic airline and bus company in the United States — along with several international carriers — to take all their unclaimed and unopened bags off their hands.
“We have no competitors,” so says Sonni Hood, a very pleasant senior manager.
It seemed everyone I talked to at the store had that “southern charm,” they made you feel comfortable.
How do suitcases get lost? Mostly when address tags are ripped off or the owner just abandons the case. The percentage of lost bags is extremely low at 0.03%. But with over 800,000,000 passengers traveling in 2023 alone… that’s still a lot of lost luggage.
Airlines do their best at returning bags to their rightful owner by waiting 90 days for someone to make a claim and most times they do … but sometimes they don’t.
Once the bags find their way to Scottsboro, the contents are cleaned, sorted and discounted to sell. Sorry, no used underwear makes it onto the shelves.
“Traditionally, one-third of the items are sold, one-third donated and another third recycled,” Sonni states.
Giving appropriate items away to “partners” has always been an important part of Doyle and his now in-charge children’s mission.
For instance, many of the suitcases are donated to the foster program so when a fostered child moves from one family to another, they have a proper suitcase to pack. No plastic garbage bags for those kids in Alabama.
Bags arrive constantly, keeping the 250 employees hopping. They add over 7,000 new items daily to the store’s already incredible selection.
OK, let’s get down to it, what are some of the most bizarre things discovered when they opened a lost bag? How about a live rattlesnake, yikes!
Previously, a customer could pick out and purchase an unopened bag for $50, what fun, but that rattlesnake probably changed company policy.
How about a basketball signed by Michael Jordan or a guidance system for a F1 fighter? The Defense Department came and picked that up.
Bagpipes, no Scottish fling, was held on that night or a couple suits of armor. They no doubt had to postpone a round of jousting for the day.
Hoggle, a life-size Jim Henson puppet who starred alongside David Bowie in the 1986 cult movie “Labyrinth” is still on display.
Egyptian artifacts dating back to 1500 B.C., including a burial mask, a hawk sarcophagus, ancient coins and other really old trinkets are there too.
Now, how could anyone lose a 13” 3’ pole vault?
Inside the store is a small museum that has these and other unusual odds and ends that people leave behind, really head-scratching.
The draw that brings throngs to little Scottsboro are the unbelievable items that for one reason or another, get left behind. The difference between this place and the most magnificent second hand store you have ever seen is these are items people didn’t want to get rid of. This was their good stuff that they traveled with and intended to wear/use.
All the big designers are represented. The case after case of jewelry was really too much for me to absorb. Rolex watches, Gucci, Hermes, Eve Saint Laurent, etc. are discounted to a third or a quarter of their value … priced to move.
Clothes, accessories, cell phones, headphones, sunglasses, shoes you name it. Just think when you pack to travel, one takes a little bit of everything.
I bought a leather belt for $6 and a couple snazzy $8 shirts.
More oddities, I can’t help myself: a Lute from the Russian Renaissance, Unicycles, a Xylophone that toured with Neil Diamond in 1989 and Native American peace pipes,…it’s like a collection from Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
One of the most popular days of the year is November 1st when they put all the ski wear and accessories out, on sale for that one day, again priced to move. People camp the night before in the parking lot for that one.
If you love to shop, put a trip to Scottsboro, Alabama on your bucket list, oh sorry they have buckets too!
You never know what you will find, I wonder if some well known historically lost items might come in like: Jimmy Hoffa, Amelia’s airplane, my ex-wife’s engagement ring, the Amber Room or most politicians’ common sense?
Enjoy the buying experience … you will return.
